Homemade Cleaning Products

Once upon a time, not that very long ago, every householder was an amateur chemist, making his or her own cleansers, polishes, glues and other domestic items out of commonly available substances. Some concoctions were products of experimentation; more often they were recipes handed down in the family for generations.

   Making your own household recipes is an excellent way to save money and at the same time to learn traditional lore that was once common knowledge. Furthermore, when you prepare a cleansing liquid or a polish for yourself, you have the satisfaction and reassurance of knowing that your product contains only natural substances. Always stick to recommended amounts when preparing recipes and remember that no recipe or remedy should replace the advice and services of a doctor; and since an allergic reaction is always a possibility, be cautious when first using any recipe.

General Household Cleaning

Bicarbonate of soda, soap, washing soda, ammonia, vinegar and borax will clean just about anything in various concentrations and combinations. Try the following recipes for an all-purpose cleaner for baths, basins, bench-tops and other surfaces.

All-purpose liquid cleanser: Combine 2 litres of hot water, 2 tablespoons of cloudy ammonia, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, and half cup of bicarbonate of soda. Shake until the bicarbonate of soda is dissolved, then store for future use.

All-purpose powder cleanser: Bicarbonate of soda used alone is a highly effective, non-scratching abrasive cleaner, as well as an essential ingredient in many other household formulas. Store it in a clearly labelled flour or icing sugar shaker, and apply to stubborn stains on baths, basins, sinks, bench-tops and other surfaces, just as you would a commercial powder cleaner.

Timber furniture cleaner: Combine equal parts of linseed oil, turpentine, vinegar (preferably brown) and methylated spirits. Use sparingly on a lint-free cloth. Add a few drops of lemon essence, eucalyptus oil or lavender oil for a pleasing fragrance.

All-purpose deodoriser and disinfectant: Add a few drops of tea-tree oil to the toilet, rubbish bin and other germ-prone containers after you have cleaned them.

Air fresheners and deodorisers: Place dried lavender, potpourri or other naturally fragrant materials in bowls throughout the house to act as a natural air freshener. After cleaning floors, add a pleasant fragrance by using scented oils, like lemon or lavender, eucalyptus or tea tree, in a final wipeover. Charcoal left to stand in an open bowl absorbs most household odours; it can also be wrapped in muslin and placed in the fridge or in the bathroom.

Carpet cleaner and deodoriser: Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over carpets and rugs an hour or so before vacuuming for a cleaning, deodorising action. For general stains removal and cleaning, use a mixture of 1 litre of warm water with quarter of a cup of cloudy ammonia. Apply this to the carpet on a clean, pale-coloured cloth that has been wrung out in the solution. Use a firm blotting motion rather than a scrubbing motion.

Mirror demister: Prevent bathroom mirrors from misting up on cold mornings by rubbing them over with a cloth moistened with glycerine, and then allowing the mirror to dry.

Special household cleaning

Apart from daily or weekly washing chores there are a number of other household cleaning jobs that have to be done periodically.

Oven cleaner 1: Combine 1 cup of household ammonia with 4 cups of water in a large, shallow baking dish. Place in the oven and heat on low for two hours allowing the steam and vapour from the ammonia to penetrate every corner of the oven. Leave overnight, then wipe oven vigorously with an abrasive cloth.

Over cleaner 2: If baked-on stains remain after the treatment above, mix two parts bicarbonate of soda, one part table salt, and enough fresh lemon juice to make a thick paste. Apply to problem areas, especially inside the over door and the glass viewing window. Allow to dry, then rub off the paste with a scouring cloth. Repeat if necessary.

Silver and brass cleaner: Rub the object to be cleaned with a lemon cut in half and dipped in cooking salt. Rinse with soapy water and buff to a high sheen. Silver responds well to liquids or substances containing aluminium - store washing water in an aluminium saucepan or boil up some aluminium foil in the water used for rinsing. Sprinkle silver items with talcum powder before putting them away to help prevent tarnishing.

Window and mirror cleaner: Apply methylated spirits to absorbent kitchen paper or newspaper and rub the paper vigorously across your windows. This is a most effective glass cleaner and the treatment also works well on chrome taps and other glossy or shiny fittings.

Wooden floor cleaner: Bring up the natural timber tones of wooden floors by straining the leaves from a large pot of tea and adding it to a bucket of warm water containing half a cup of cloudy ammonia, then mopping as usual.

Refrigerator cleaner: Dilute one part all-purpose liquid cleanser (above) with 3 parts water and wipe over the interior of the refrigerator. Add a teaspoon of vanilla essence to the rinse water for a pleasant smell. Use a saucer of bicarbonate of soda in the fridge for continuing deodorising action.

Essential knowledge: how to remove stains

Ballpoint ink and felt-tip pens: Sponge with methylated spirits, spray with hairspray or blot with nail polish remover.

Grass stains: Test fabric for colour-fastness first. Sponge with eucalyptus oil.

Lipstick and cosmetic stains: Soak the stain in glycerine for several hours, then wash as usual.

Oil and grease stains: Grease spots on clothing, carpets and soft furnishings can be removed by rubbing the affected area with talcum powder, placing absorbent kitchen paper under and over the stain, and then ironing. The paper will lift and absorb the stain. Renew the powder and paper as it becomes oily. If possible, wash or sponge the item in one tablespoon borax added to one cup water, once the major stain has been removed.

Making laundry detergents

   Before you switch from commercial detergents to home-made washing mixtures, it is important to rinse your machine and wash your clothes in washing soda. Otherwise, leftover traces of the commercial detergents may cause yellowing. Dissolve one cup of washing soda in 2 litres of water and put your machine through a clothes-free cycle using 2 cups of this mix. Thereafter, use 2 cups per load.

Basic laundry liquid: 2 litres of hot water, 1 bar of pure soap grated or 100 grams of pure soap flakes, and either a quarter cup of borax or quarter cup of washing soda. Dissolve the soap and the borax or the washing soda in the water and store in a bottle or jar. If using bar soap, place the water in an old saucepan, add the soap and heat over a low flame, stirring constantly until the soap is dissolved. Do not boil. Use approximately half a cup of laundry liquid for each load. For heavily soiled loads, add a teaspoon of ammonia to the wash. The ammonia also works as a fabric softener and conditioner. In hard-water areas, add an extra teaspoon of borax to the mixture.

To soften fabrics: Add a teaspoon of white vinegar or teaspoon of glycerine to the final rinse.

For woolens: Mix one cup of soap flakes to a quarter of a bar of grated soap with one cup of hot water. Add one desert-spoon each of eucalyptus oil and methylated spirits to this mixture. Use sparingly - about one tablespoon for a large jumper or several smaller items.

To brighten and remove stains: Soak clothing overnight in a bucket of water containing half a cup of cloudy ammonia. Always test for colour-fastness before soaking any clothing. If ammonia is too strong, soak clothing in a bucket of water with half a cup of white vinegar.